Battery-charging table



Dec. 26, 1950 B. L. VTBBERT BATTERY CHARGING TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 11, 1948 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

De@ 26, 1950 B. L. VIBBERT 2,535,523

BATTERY CHARGING TABLE Filed May l1, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nu qm, A n. fm. A .m- ,m1 fm. .21. .m1 A n. .un

6 7 NVENTOR 6 1 l Z7 27 BY 1 d .76 26 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 26, 1950 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE BATTERY-CHAEGING TABLE Burton L. vibbert, Euiia, ohio Appiircationiuay 11, 194s,seria1No. 26,387

1 claim. (c1. 139173) This invention relates to a battery charging table designed particularly for use in 4recharging the battery of industrial platform and lift trucks such as are commonly used -on docks, freight platforms, warehouse oors, and the like.

Due to the almost continuous use to which such trucks are put, theirbatteries run down frequently and require considera-ble recharging. It may be noted that the chargers used for the purpose of recharging the battery are generally of the automatic type, the charging process being shut down as soon as the batteries reach a state of full charge. The charging time required is generally eight ormore hours, this time varying according to the condition and type of battery, number of cells, ampere hour capacity, or the like.

It will be recognized that charging facilities which are inadequate or unsuitable will obviously and inevitably shorten battery life, increase maintenance costs, and reduce maximum truck efficiency.

It is an important object of the present invention, accordingly, to provide a novelty designed battery charging table, adapted specifically to the recharging -of batteries of the type described, the table being specially-adapted to permit the speedy and easy removal of the batteries from the trucks; to permit equally speedy and easy remounting of the batteries in the trucks after the batteries are charged; to permit a plurality of batteries to be recharged simultaneously; to permit dead trucks to be moved up to and away from the table; and to accomplish these results with a structure'taking up comparatively little space, and capable of manufacture at .low cost considering the benefits to be obtained.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referringy to the drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevational vewiof a battery charging table constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view, a portion of the front end of the super structure being cut away.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3 of Figure 1, portions being broken away.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a modied form.

Figure 6 is a front elevational View of the form of Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view, portions being broken away, of one of the legs of the modified form.

y Referring to the drawings in detail, at 5 I have designated a rectangular frame, which can be of any desired length or width, which is formed from heavy channel members. The frame is preferably of a suflicient length and width to accommodate a desired number of industrial storage batteries B.

Angle iron legs 6 support the frame 5, and a drawer 'I slidably mounted below the frame and at one end thereof is adapted to permit storage of cleaning brushes, bottles of water or acids, and other equipment needed to service batteries, in a place where they are readily accessible.

J ournaled in the side members of the frame 5 is a series of spaced rollers 8, that extend transversely of the frame, and it is on these rollers that a battery B is directly supported, so that the operator can with ease roll the battery to its place on the table. p

. Rigidly mounted, as by welding, on the frame 5 and at one end thereof is a tubular arch 9, forming part of a hoist means or super structure for the table. U-clamps ID passed over the top of the arch immovably support to the arch an elongated I-beam II, which at one end extends beyond the end of the table, and which at the other end merges into a supporting leg I2. The leg I2 is fixedly mounted, by any fastening means of suitable strength, to the other end of the frame 5. The I-beam II defines a track for a rollably mounted hoist to be described, and limiting movement of the hoist in opposite directions respectively are stops I3.

The hoist consists of a wheeled depending hanger I4, supporting block and tackle I5.

'It may be noted at this point that assuming that a lift truck, not shown, arrives at the tablev for recharging of its battery, the block and tackle I5 is positioned as illustrated in Fig. l, whereupon it is lowered so as to hook on to the battery. The battery is then lifted olf the truck, and the hanger I4 rolled longitudinally of the I-beam I I, until the battery is positioned above that portion of the frame 5 where it is to be deposited for recharging. The battery is then lowered onto the rollers 8, and the block and tackle unhooked so that the same operation may be performed on another bat- 3 tery. As necessary the batteries can be moved longitudinally of the table 5 after having been positioned thereon, by being rolled on the rollers 8.

Obviously, the operation will be reversed when it is desired to lift a battery B from the table, for remounting in the lift truck.

At C and P respectively, I have designated a conventional charger and a conventional automatic panel. Leading-from the panel P is a lead A, that leads to a spool I5 dependingly and rotatably mounted below one end of the frame 5 by means of hangers Il. Wound upon the spool I6 is a polarized lead I8. Thus, after a battery B has been removed from a lift truck for recharg l ing of the battery, the lead I8 can be connected to the truck, so that power can be supplied to.

the truck from the removed battery, thereby perf mitting the truck to be `moved to a parking area. When a battery is ready'for a truck, the lead I8 can beconn'ected to the dead truck for the purpose of bringing the truck to the charging table.

A `plurality of leads D 'also Iextend from the panel P, these leads being respectively in circuit with spaced polarized leads I9 of the charging table. Each lead I9 is used for recharging of a separate battery B. Referring to Fig. 3, the leads VI9 arersupported in transverse housings 20 that are rigidly secured to the under side of frame -5. Each housing has open ends 2l and -22 respectively V)for the leads D and I9. n

Referring to the form cf table illustrated in Figs. 5 through v'1, the construction is essentially the same as described above, except that I'ha've illustrated a modified form of super structure, Iv

and an adjustable leg structure for the table, either or both of which modifications may be used in any table in place of the correspoding `construction illustrated in Figs. 1 through 4. Y

The modified super structure permits a battery to be placedupon or removed from the table from either end thereof. In this form, there is -a pair of arches 23, one 'at each end of the table,fand these support a straight I-b'ea'm 24, having closed ends "25, the I-beam in this instance projecting beyond both ends of the table. The Wheeled hanger and block and tackle would be the same as in Fig. 1, a y Y As to the leg adjustment, in this instance IA pro'- vide nat foot plates-26, to Which are respectively l welded upstanding threaded rods 21 extended loosely through sleeves 28 that are 'welded to Vthe le'gs 6 at the lower ends thereof. An adjusting nut 29 when threaded upwardly or `downwardly on'the rod 2l elevates or lowers sleeve 28, as the a 'case may be, and thus adjusts the distance ofthe entire table from the surface on which itres'ts.y A lool; nut 130 is threadable lagainst the upper end'of the sleeve, so Yas to prevent the 'table from jarring upwardly. The plates'26 can `of course' be bolted to the floor if so desired.

'This adjustment means' permits the heightsof the table to be regulated, so that in many i-nstances, va battery can be rolled on the table-directlyontoa lift truck.

An important characteristic of the structurels the lfact that it provides a single specicstructure specially designed for facilitating the re- `charging of lift truck batteries, so that the entire battery recharging process is speeded up considerably. Dead trucks can be brought to and from the table with ease, by means of the polarized spool mounted lead I8. Batteries can be removed from or placed upon the lift trucks with similar speed and ease. It may be noted in this connection that the position of any battery on the table will 'not have to be changed, to accommodate the removal from or positioning upon the table of another battery, since the hoisting means illustrated permits the batteries to be lifted direct'ly 'over other batteries and handled without diiliculty in this manner.

What is 'claimed is:

In a batteryf'recharging table a charging panel; a plurality of leads extending therefrom and havingineans at their free ends clampable to a bati. named openings.

tery to be charged; a horizontal rectangular open framefspacedlfrom said panel and comprising a plurality of rigidly rconnected channel members faced 'toward `theinside of the fran-ie, legs sup'- porti'ng saidra'me in 'an elevated position, and a plurality of battery supporting Vrollers extended transversely of the frame and having their resp'eeitve ends journaled inside the channel mei-nbers at oppositesides offthe'vframe; `and a plur'ality of vtubular transverse 'cross braces spaced longitudinally of *the frame to 'denne battery charging locations 'spaced 'longitudinally of the frame, said cross braces being rigidly secured at their end'sto the undersides of the side ychannel members, "each Y'cross brace vextending the full distance' across the frame and having its opposite ends flush with 'the outer walls of the channel members, 'each` cross brace `constituting a housing for ia "single lead and having one end 'open and beingfor'med with an opening in 'its bottom wall at its vother end, lsaid leads b'ein'gextended from the panel to the respective housings Aand being loosely positioned through said housings with their free ends extending out Vo'fthe last- BRLTN LJVIBBERT.

RFRENCES CITED "illieiollow'ing references are of record in the iile of this patent.'

Comstock crema-arf-; dan. 1,1194? OTHER REFERENCES Cannon Battery GonnectorCatalog, '2nd edition,'March 1944, pages iand. i 

